Awards - People Planes Places

0 Comments | Naval Aviation News, July-August, 2003 | by Dan Ball

Naval Aviation News won First Place in the 2002 CHINFO Merit Awards in the category "Internal Publications for a Specific Audience"--earning its second consecutive First Place honor. The award recognizes exemplary achievements in the internal media products of Navy commands and individuals. First Place winners go on to compete in the interservice Thomas Jefferson Awards, sponsored by the Department of Defense.

Winners of the 2002 Grampaw Pettibone Awards were: individual, LCdr. Kenneth E. Durbin, HSL-51; unit, VFA-87; and special, Commander Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The awards are presented to individuals or organizations that contribute the most toward aviation safety awareness through publications.

The winner of the 2002 Captain Michael J. Estocin Award for meritorious achievement by a strike fighter squadron was VFA-131. The annual award is presented to the Navy's best overall F/A-18 squadron.

Winners of the 2002 Noel Davis Trophy, signifying battle efficiency in a reserve squadron, were: HCS-5, NAWC Point Mugu, Calif.; VFA-261, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas; VFC-13, NAS Fallon, Nev.; VP-92, NAS Brunswick, Maine; VR-53, NAF Washington, D.C.; VR-56, NAS Oceana, Va.; and VR-61, NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.

VFA-15 received the 2002 Commander Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic (CSFWL) Maintenance Award, and VFA-15's Ltjg. Mitch Allen was selected as the 2002 CSFWL Ground Officer of the Year.

Lt. Benjamin Domoto of HSL-44 was the recipient of the 2002 Navy League Stephen Decatur Award for superior operational competence.

Commanding General Fourth MAW won the 2002 CNO Readiness Through Safety Award and the Daedalians Admiral James S. Russell Flight Safety Award. The annual awards recognize the command that contributes the most toward readiness and economy of operations through safety.

HT-18 received the 2002 CNATRA Training Excellence Award for effectively and efficiently training future Naval Aviators.

NAS Pensacola, Fla., earned the Department of the Navy's 2003 Commander in Chief's Award for Installation Excellence. The award recognizes an installation whose command has made the best use of available resources to accomplish its mission.

HSL-49 received the Lockheed Martin Superior Maintenance Award in recognition of its hard work and dedication to sustained exceptional performance in rotary-wing maintenance.